MISSISSIPPI NIGHT AT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM

FOR CURATOR’S CIRCLE PATRONS AND ABOVE

The State of Mississippi’s “Birthplace of America’s Music” campaign continues a tradition that dates back eight years as Mississippi Night at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles is set for the evening of Thursday, February 9. Produced in conjunction with GRAMMY Museum Mississippi — the first GRAMMY Museum to be built outside of Los Angeles — the program takes place during the week leading up to the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards and will be highlighted by performances from some of the state’s brightest musical lights, reflecting the great diversity of Mississippi music. In addition, the evening will be a celebration of two of Mississippi’s greatest gifts to American music: Meridian’s Jimmie Rodgers, “The Singing Brakeman” a/k/a The Father of Country Music and the groundbreaking Charley Pride, originally from Sledge, Miss. Both are 2017 recipients of The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

This year’s featured artists at Mississippi’s night at the GRAMMY Museum include Greenville’s “Delta Soul” practitioner Steve Azar, backed by his band The Kings Men. Also on board is the legendary Bobby Rush, a longtime resident of Jackson, Miss., whose Porcupine Meat is another Best Traditional Blues Album category nominee. It’s his fourth GRAMMY nomination in a career that dates back a phenomenal seven decades.